Building permit data download: weekly CSV for Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Mesa
City Signals Data turns each city's official building-permit open data into one clean weekly file per metro. You get every building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permit issued the prior week, the contractor business named on it, flags for contractors that are new to the city or suddenly busy, and the government source link on every row. No homeowner names, phones or emails.
The data at a glance
| Cities | Austin TX, Chicago IL, Cincinnati OH, New Orleans LA, Mesa AZ |
|---|---|
| Formats | CSV and Excel; JSON through the Apify tool |
| Updated | Weekly, every Monday, covering the prior Monday to Friday |
| Each row | Permit number, type, work description, stated job value, issue/status/expiration dates, job address (ZIP where the city publishes it), contractor business and trade, new/busy flags, source link |
| Example week | Oct 19 to 23, 2026: Austin issued 1,192 permits naming 403 contractor businesses; Chicago issued 613 permits naming 632 |
Free sample
Free sample (25 Austin rows, CSV)Free weekly counts (Google Sheet)
The free weekly counts sheet has counts only (no names), updated weekly: permits by city, new and busy contractors, restaurant changes and new contractor licenses.
Price
$150 per month or $490 per year for one metro (weekly CSV and Excel file every Monday), or $0.004 per permit row self-serve on Apify. Full dataset page: weekly permits and contractors.
Questions
Can I download building permit data for free?
Yes, the raw permits are free on each city's open-data portal, for example data.austintexas.gov and data.cityofchicago.org. What we sell is the cleaned weekly file: one format across five cities, contractor names matched, new and busy flags added, and portal changes fixed for you. Our free weekly counts sheet and the sample CSV cost nothing.
What format is the download?
CSV and Excel by email every Monday for the weekly file. The pay-per-row Apify tool also gives JSON and an API.
Do you have homeowner names or phone numbers?
No. The file has business and property data only: no homeowner names, phone numbers or email addresses. It is for marketing and market research, not a consumer report under the FCRA.
Do you cover other cities, like Las Vegas?
Not today. The weekly file covers Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Mesa. Email hello@citysignalsdata.com with the city you need and we will say plainly whether its public records make it possible.
Related pages
- City Signals Data home
- Austin building permit data, weekly
- Restaurant health inspection data (4 cities)
- New contractor license list (WA and OR)
- Business license list: year-one businesses (SF, LA, Chicago)
- Full dataset page: weekly permits and contractors
Questions or a city we do not cover: hello@citysignalsdata.com. Use is governed by our Terms and Data use rules.
Free tools: new building permits this week in Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Mesa, searchable, with a free CSV for each (updated October 28, 2026). All cities.